‘He who dares wins’ is one of those phrases that’s easy to say, but often hard to act on. However, in the context of UK charities, I’d argue it’s something to seriously consider over the next few years. Unfortunately taking a risk seems even harder when you feel vulnerable and the last five years have certainly been choppy waters for UK charities.
The immediate uncertainty following the 2020 lockdown resulted in a drop in giving levels, with Enthuse reports showing the percentage of the UK population that had given to charity over three months falling to a low of 59%. Despite a recovery to 75% by 2022, the subsequent cost of living crisis impacted how many people were able to give and spring / Summer 2023 showed a 5% drop off in public giving. Although recently donation levels have recovered, most charities still face a big financial challenge in 2025. As with other sectors, there has been a big increase in their costs and most face higher service demands and reduced funding.
Naturally, when faced with these challenges, it can be harder to consider new approaches, but as an outsider looking in it feels like a key time for charities to consider the benefits of striking out in new directions. With traditional routes like direct mail and cash giving in decline, there appear to be limitations to investing in some historically favoured channels. Whereas there’s a strong case, in this context, for trialling new marketing approaches that will help charities stand out in an increasingly crowded market.
What do I mean by new approaches? Over the last couple of years I’ve noticed two charities, CALM and Prostate Cancer UK, that have endeavoured to do things a bit differently, with positive results that I want to explore here.
Looking first at The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), a UK charity that works to end suicide. Its CEO, Simon Gunning, has made a noticeable impact since beginning the rapid transformation of its brand and operations, more than doubling its helpline service provision over a four-year period to reach more people before the point of crisis. As a former digital marketer who worked on the corporate side, including spells at Virgin Media and the BBC, it’s clear that Gunning is challenging charity norms.
Asking media and corporate partners to join you in taking a risk
From an outsider’s perspective, there are a few key areas which stand out where CALM has done things differently. The most obvious is the work the charity has done to get media and corporate partners to join them in taking some risks to create more impactful and compelling campaigns. However, it’s also clear the charity has wanted to use paid media in a more daring way, which can not only cut through, but also be amplified through publicity.
CALM’s clear focus on creating strong partnerships with media owners and brands has been bold and confrontational. One of the first campaigns under Gunning’s tenure (the Project 84 ITV partnership) focused on raising awareness of the fact that 84 men in the UK died by suicide each week. This launched with a graphic, attention-grabbing visual stunt: 84 statues of real male suicide victims were stood on top of ITV’s Studio Tower in the line of sight of Parliament. CALM then used each of these men’s real-life stories to build content across ITV’s channels and shows to encourage discussion and understanding. The campaign generated a huge level of publicity, putting the issue at the heart of the charity on the map and rightly winning several awards as a result.
Equally, CALM’s creative approach in paid media has been both innovative and impactful. Its 2022 Last Photo campaign featured the last photos and videos of real people before they died by suicide, confronting the awkward truth that ‘suicide hides behind a smile’. The campaign won a Thinkbox creativity award in TV and was successfully converted into an OOH exhibition.
Finally, CALM has intelligently created corporate partnerships that work for all parties. Its recent partnership with MoneySupermarket drew attention to how money worries can impact mental health and how both CALM and MoneySupermarket can support people through these difficulties. Hearing the work behind the scenes in creating this successful partnership at the AdWanted conference last year really highlighted the benefits of investing time in getting new areas of exploration right. By having honest upfront conversations, not only was CALM able to confront subjects that other partners may have shied away from, but it was also able to secure a partner that would ensure its core messages would reach a broad audience.
Adopting novel strategies to spark conversations and engage new audiences
There are some real similarities here with Prostate Cancer UK, another charity that has had to shift public perceptions. The challenge here is that awareness of prostate cancer and how to identify those at risk is very low in the UK. By adopting novel strategies to spark conversation the charity has engaged new audiences and achieved a decade of exponential income growth. The impact it has made has meant it’s been able to save and support thousands of men across the UK.
A great recent example of this was Prostate Cancer UK’s work with Sky and Paddy Power at the 2024 World Darts Championship. The ‘Big 180 Commitment’ saw Paddy Power pledge £1,000 to Prostate Cancer UK for every 180 thrown during the tournament. A record total of 914 were hit which Paddy Power rounded up to a massive £1m donation. The partnership also encouraged men to check their risk of prostate cancer through an online risk-checker and after gaining huge interest across national media it was promoted in national newspapers, on billboards and across social media content, engaging millions. This resulted in more than 136,000 men checking their risk online, a five-fold increase year on year. The partnership will run again this year and, although some may question a charity partnering with a gambling brand, the overall good it has done for the cause demonstrates a strong risk / reward result.
Innovative content has been key to the success of Prostate Cancer UK. Following the pandemic, NHS England launched initiatives to get people back to their GPs, but checking yourself for the risk of prostate cancer posed a conundrum. Most cancers are detected by checking yourself, watching for symptoms and going for screening. But not prostate cancer. It doesn’t have symptoms until the cancer has spread and is the most common cancer with no routine screening program, putting people at a higher risk. To attack the issue, the charity developed a 30-second Risk Checker; an interactive, shareable piece of content that serves as a simple call to action in its campaign. It asks for age, ethnicity and family history to determine a man’s risk. After the first year, 211,000 men had used the Risk Checker. It was so effective that NHS England (NSHE) funded a £1.9m first-of-its-kind partnership campaign to deliver it. Together they scaled up the campaign to boost prostate cancer referrals, funded by NHSE and delivered by Prostate Cancer UK. It was the largest-ever charity partnership with NHSE and the first nationwide public health campaign delivered in this way.
Taking these new bold and innovative routes has undoubtedly helped both charities but it’s not without its risks. Of course, it’s easy for an outsider to extol the virtues of being more adventurous. It’s still important to recognise why charities have a degree of conservatism in their approach. Taking a wrong step could aggravate or even lose existing donors who might start to think the marketing budget for their chosen causes is being used irresponsibly. However, given the current context, there are some clear benefits of taking risks which the marketing departments within charities should spell out internally:
- Marketing campaigns can be used as a tool to challenge any misconceptions or taboos surrounding a charity/cause. To stand out amongst a sea of marketing, these must be bold
- Less conventional campaigns have the power to develop strong emotional connections and reinforce a clear brand identity
- Finally, brand campaigns like those mentioned above become talking points that are engaged with and shared more widely an in turn may attract the attention of prospective partners looking for leaders in the charity sector, or prompt valuable publicity
Over the past couple of weeks, events have been held across London as our industry leaders discuss their expectations for the year ahead in advertising. From the current mood amongst consumers to the continued conversations around AI’s impact on advertising, below we share our key takeaways on what we should look out for over the next twelve months.
Consumers are feeling the lasting impacts of Covid and the cost-of-living crisis
In an eye-opening study from Leo Burnett shared at Campaign’s Year Ahead it was found that, “48% of people agree that life feels so intense and the moment that I often find myself reacting emotionally.” This same Pop Pulse 2024 study also revealed that, “31% of people feel emotionally overwhelmed in day-to-day life.” For Deputy Chief Strategy Officer, Tom Sussman, this means that as an industry we shouldn’t overwhelm consumers with unnecessary information but instead keep it simple.
It’s a sentiment that was echoed by AJ Coyne, VP of Marketing, Monzo who said, “It’s crazy to ask consumers to look at and plan for their future when they’re dealing with their day-to-day problems.” The brands that will see the most success this year are the ones that consider the current mood amongst consumers and find ways for their brands to be relevant and additive to people’s lives.
There’s a tension amongst clients between short-term results and long-term growth
Campaign’s Media Editor, Beau Jackson, kicked off a panel on the year ahead for media agencies saying, “There’s a tension between clients asking for long-term but also caring about short-term results.” So, how can media agencies navigate this to strike the right balance between the two? For Natalie Cummins, CEO, EssenceMediacom, “We can only find the answers by doing large- and small-scale tests,” as she has found that clients are saying ‘don’t talk to me about the theory’ but are instead asking what is right for them based on their own data. Later, in a panel on the year ahead for creative agencies, Larissa Vince, CEO, TBWA\London pointed out that, “We as an industry can lack confidence in the brilliance of what we do.” As an industry we need to show conviction in our test-and-learn strategies which will deliver both immediate results and long-term growth.
AI is still the word on everyone’s lips
You would be forgiven for thinking we’d reached peak AI, but our news headlines are still saturated with it and these events were no different. At The Media Leader Year Ahead, panellists were asked what they thought would happen with AI in the advertising industry. Chloe Davies, founder & CEO of It Takes a Village questioned if AI is still a hype or if this will be the year when we face the reality, saying, “AI is still a tool, it’s there to be guided. AI can be anything we want it to be, we are the ones that need to shape the stories.” Meanwhile, Susan Kingston Brown, Brand President at UM lamented that, “Businesses see it as cost efficiency, but the problem then is that everything become bland. We should be training AI and asking questions. Bring back the power of humans. Bring back creativity and collaboration.” Human creativity was a sentiment echoed at Campaign’s Year Ahead, as Monzo’s AJ Coyne said, “I will always be an advocate of craft over technology. How I view AI is that you should never see it. It should be in the background.” At MI, we are inclined to agree with Katie Jackson, CMO, Channel 4 who said, “As long as we use AI to be additive and not reductive or replicative, then I think we’re in a good place.”
What will make 2025 more rewarding?
Finally, when asked ‘what will make our jobs more rewarding in the year ahead in advertising?’ panellists answered: ‘honesty’, ‘positivity’, ‘curiosity’ and ‘celebration’. By keeping these words in mind, we can approach the year with the fantastic ‘What If…’ mentality that Jackson has introduced to her team at Channel 4. What if 2025 turns out to be a really great year?
This week we launched new client Welcome to the Jungle’s first ad campaign following the acquisition of the UK-based platform, Otta in January 2024.
The job search platform that empowers businesses and candidates to find their ideal match. Its AI powered insights and expert support helps businesses and candidates navigate the world of work, creating more transparency for all involved. Created in partnership with a variety of leading creative partners, the campaign plays on ‘love-it or hate-it’ pairings; from socks and sliders to pineapple and pizza, encouraging job seekers to “choose the company that’s meant for you.” The campaign aims to raise awareness amongst 24-40-year-old job hunters in and around London looking for their next role; firmly establishing Welcome to the Jungle as the leading candidate-centric job search experience.
The January launch aligns with a key time of year for job searches when many are motivated to make career moves in their New Year’s resolutions. Research shows that Mondays are the peak for job searches so, to target candidates on their commute as they start their working week, ads will be placed across key commuter OOH locations in London including Kings Cross, Liverpool Street and Waterloo. A study by The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities claims that 7 in 10 UK adults experience ‘the Sunday scaries’, with most citing the upcoming work week as the reason. To distract themselves, Welcome to the Jungle’s target audience turns to social media, therefore the OOH will be supported by display and social across Meta, TikTok and LinkedIn.
Marketing Insight – how could McDonald’s fight growing competition?
Despite being the leading fast-food brand in the Netherlands, growing competition saw McDonald’s struggle to maintain top-of-mind awareness. In a world of convenience and snackability, in more ways than one, McDonald’s needed a campaign that would captivate and engage audiences and reinforce its key market position.
Now, McDonald’s has some pretty recognisable assets in their armoury. You can’t miss the ‘Golden Arches’ or mistake that tuneful whistle for any other brand, but there was one other trick up Ronald’s sleeve, the iconic smell of a McDonald’s French fry!
Media Innovation – scented billboards: is smell an underused brand asset?
So how do you capture that iconic smell and turn it into a marketing campaign? The answer? Smell-o-vision!… Well, sort of. TBWA\Neboko, McDonald’s Netherland’s advertising agency, partnered with Raúl&Rigel, a production company specialising in unusual billboards, to create an innovative scented billboard for the campaign.
The world-first activation featured plain red & yellow billboards (in the classic Maccies colours). Not a word, picture or logo in sight as the billboards were hiding a clever secret. Equipped with an internal heating and ventilation system, the billboards released the scent of the McDonald’s fries hidden within to passers-by within five metres of the installation. Billboards were strategically placed within 200 metres of restaurant locations in the Dutch cities of Utrecht and Leiden. “We are always looking for ways to give iconic brand assets their own place in culture,” Darre van Dijk, CCO of TBWA\Neboko said, “The smell of McDonald’s French fries is one of those iconic features.”
Accelerating Growth – McDonald’s most successful PR campaign
It’s no secret that many of us are driven by food. From the heady aromas of a coffee shop in the morning to freshly baked goods at lunch, smells trigger a hunger with a potent need to satisfy. That is exactly what McDonald’s scented billboard campaign succeeded in creating. A street survey revealed that 87% of passers by recognised the McDonald’s scent and 71% of them could distinguish the smell of French fries, demonstrating a strong brand recall.
The campaign also triggered huge online engagement, reaching over 1.5bn in its first week and over 85,000 engagements. The result, an earned media value of €49.9 million, marked it as McDonald’s Netherlands’ most successful PR campaign.
Could this be the start of a new kind of experiential advertising? Might we see, or rather smell, roses from bus stops promoting Valentine’s flowers, or will the smell of spiced lattes takeover tube stations during our winter morning commutes?
Brittany Bryan joined MI Media as a senior account executive last year, working across clients including The Children’s Society and RNID. Here she gives us insights into what life is like as a senior account executive at MI Media.
What led you to a career in media?
I always knew I wanted a career in media. My mum said that when I was a baby I used to hyper-focus on the ads when they came on TV, I’d spend more time watching adverts than I would the actual TV programmes! As I grew older, my interest didn’t waver and I chose to study advertising at university. I basically see advertising like history, ad campaigns can tell you so much about cultural trends and pop culture of the time. I love to geek out on that!
I finished university during Covid, so it was difficult to find a way into the industry. I spent a good year applying for roles and signed up to Creative Access which provided me with interview tips and jobs to apply for. Eventually, I secured my first job at Essence as an Account Executive and after 2.5 years I joined the team here at MI Media as a Senior Account Executive.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I am in constant communication with my clients who always have interesting questions for me to respond to. I spend a lot of my time reviewing campaign performance and finding new ways to optimise and improve our results. This means that I am always researching new innovations in media, undertaking competitor reviews and using this knowledge to help decide how we can make our clients’ campaigns even better.
What is your proudest moment at MI?
The first time I presented a post campaign analysis (PCA) at MI Media I was really nervous. I’d never been the main presenter of a PCA, in the past they had been a team effort with different people presenting different components. However, for our client RNID, I was able to take control of the whole process. I had worked really hard on the campaign and delivered great results; we delivered 12x the number of conversions we were targeted against while remaining under budget! The presentation went really well and the client was ecstatic with the results.
What advice would you give to someone looking to become a Senior Account Executive?
Always be curious and have a thirst for the industry that you’re going into. There are so many ways you can learn more about the industry. Consider shadowing, find mentors that can coach you in their skills and go to networking events. There’s a misconception that networking is just for more senior people already in the industry, but you can find out so much about different media owners and what they do at these events.
What mistake have you learned from the most?
There isn’t one mistake in particular that stands out. I take all mistakes as a learning opportunity and don’t dwell on it. Every time I’ve made a mistake, whether it’s been how I’ve presented something or maybe missing a tactic to optimise a campaign, I’ve noted down what I’ve done and what I can do in the future if I find myself facing a similar challenge again.
Who’s your role model and why?
I have found in every single person I’ve worked with. I find inspiration from my account director and his client knowledge which helps push me to learn more. I find inspiration from how my business director always thinks outside of the box, thinking of five different ways to take on a piece of information. I see how different people work and take pieces from each of them that I want to emulate in my own work.
According to Deloitte, “Insurers have the potential to achieve even greater social good largely because they already act as society’s “financial safety net,” providing a backstop against financial loss for innumerable risks worldwide.”
We’ve also seen an increase in insurers using their customers’ money to invest a in a range of causes; from Animal Friends Insurance supporting animal welfare with a variety of charity partnerships to LV=’s partnership with Family Action to support families through change, challenge and crisis. Beyond charity partnerships, how can insurance brands invest in media with ESG in mind? We look at everything from reducing wastage with increased targeting to using carbon calculators to measure impact.
It’s been a tough few years for all insurance companies, with a turbulent macro political landscape coupled with national economic and environmental hurdles. This has resulted in rising premiums and tightening coverage for higher risk policies – and in some cases coverage removed altogether. In a world where insurers are often mis-trusted, this heightened pressure-cooker environment is making it more challenging than ever for brands to position themselves as a trusted partner, protecting people from disaster.
However, with climate change posing a significant risk to communities and businesses worldwide, insurers will bear a substantial share of the financial burden through claims related to natural disasters. Therefore, there are both business and societal imperatives for them to act. This includes embedding ESG into their own business operations and rewarding sustainable behaviour from policy holders.
By changing underwriting practices, insurance companies can positively impact the environment
The surge in data and increasing AI adoption is an opportunity for insurers to become a catalyst for good. The depth of data now available means quotes can be more personalised than ever before. And by utilising AI to unlock hidden insights faster, personalisation can be offered at scale. This means people will be paying the correct premiums for their situation and can build a policy with exactly the right cover. However, with trust as one of the top motivators between choosing one insurer over another, it’s important to have complete transparency about how data is being collected, used and stored.
Another opportunity for insurance companies is to encourage environmental and societal good by embedding sustainability into their underwriting practices. This could be reducing premiums for insulated homes and EVs, or business insurers offering the construction industry discounts if they apply a green chemistry approach – which reduces pollution and improves overall yield efficiency. Stealing from a different industry, Diageo recently said that when it is looking at product innovation, it always looks for the ‘and’. Meaning that a product innovation only gets developed if it benefits customers, the business AND the environment. Applying this to insurance, ultimately the best claim for all parties is the one that didn’t happen – so by rewarding practices that are better for the environment, encourage safer behaviour or more concrete operations, it’s win/win for everyone.
Some insurers are already designing inclusive products and partnership to give back
Insurers can also design inclusive insurance products and it’s promising to see this already coming to fruition across the insurance landscape. Research into pet insurance shows that it’s the economically strained that are less likely to insure their pets, meaning pets in these households are less likely to get veterinary care when required. Animal Friends Pet Insurance is a great example of an insurance brand giving back, with every policy taken out helping it to support animal charities and conservancies around the world – donating more than £8.5m already. Meanwhile, LV= has partnered with Family Action, to help it support the 60,000 plus families with practical and emotional support at times of crisis, mirroring its role as an insurer. In a similar vein, MoneySuperMarket and CALM launched a joint campaign to break the taboo that makes it difficult to talk about money worries – which affect our physical and mental health as well as putting strain on our relationships. Our client Simply Business, a small business insurance specialist, has social impact at the heart of everything it does. As a B Corp immersed in the business world, it champions small businesses and has multiple schemes to support entrepreneurs to thrive in challenging circumstances.
The insurance industry has the power to drive effective change in ESG advertising practices
As well as examining their external offerings, insurers must make sure they’re running their business as sustainably as possible. This includes re-imagining their advertising activity. As an industry, insurance is estimated to have spent £253m in advertising in 2024 so far. TV advertising represents 57% of this spend – meaning there’s a huge opportunity to make a difference when adopting sustainable practices. From the ad production – limiting travel, re-using footage, pre-empting future video requirements to using local suppliers – adopting a sustainable-first approach to the creative planning and production can make a huge difference.
Digital also makes up a significant proportion of this spend. With an estimated 670 grams of CO2 per thousand impressions, at the scale of spend of UK insurance advertisers, this equates to a heavy footprint. Careful selection of digital partners can help reduce this by effective targeting and using lighter-loading assets.
When it comes to media buying, targeted campaigns across all channels will reduce waste. Not only will this lower the emissions of the campaign but will also save media budgets, resulting in both increased efficiency and effectiveness. It’s also important to understand the sway the industry can have on the advertising industry. With advertising powered by the advertisers, applying pressure on media partners to be more accountable across all elements of ESG, will force the media industry to adopt best-practice ESG principles.
Finally, Garm’s Media Carbon Calculator can measure emissions across all media channels. This allows for the off-setting of emissions through investment in reforestation or renewable energy projects as an example.
The opportunities for insurers to be the catalyst for change across all areas of ESG are huge. Designed to support people and businesses at a time of crisis, they can lend their weight to change consumer behaviour, offer more tailored support to people’s unique circumstances and ensure their own business operations and partners uphold high standards.
Jack joined MI Media earlier this year in the new role of senior data analyst to support the increasing volume of data analytics and modelling work the agency is undertaking for clients including The Children’s Society and Kindred. Here he gives us insights into what life is like as a data scientist at MI Media.
What led you to a career in media?
I completed my master’s in business analytics which opened me up to the world of data science, specifically the utilisation of machine learning & AI and the power this has in enforcing data driven decisions. My course looked at business across all industries, so I came out of uni being able to apply my skills to any industry and initially got a job in a Proptech company.
I had a real flair for econometrics, so when I was approached regarding a role at OMD UK that would use my data science skills, although I didn’t know much about media, I was intrigued. I had an interest in how these solutions led to businesses making smarter decisions around their marketing investment. I had an idea of how data would drive the media choices and strategy.
At MI, I’m leading the progression of data science at the company, solving clients’ problems and educating them about the tools that can be used to overcome problems using data. I helped to launch MIDAS, our all-in-one decision-making data framework that analyses and harnesses data to inform reactive and data driven decisions for clients and media teams. I also work on transforming companies’ data infrastructure, helping to automate the importation of data using Azure which allows quicker and more efficient decisions.
What does a typical day as a data scientist look like for you?
My days at MI tend to be very varied. I am often working on proposals for data science solutions and dealing with internal client requests regarding problems that can be solved with data science. It could be anything from developing and enhancing MIDAS to ensuring the smooth onboarding of clients, to continuing the advancement in data automation through the platform.
I collaborate every day with our media planning & buying teams throughout the whole of MI. They work with me to determine the right tools to suggest at right time; based on budgets, the problem in hand and data availability.
What advice would you give to someone looking to become a data scientist?
Don’t stop learning about evolving technologies and techniques in the data science sphere. Become very familiar with how different data science techniques are used and the value they can bring. Your learning will be accelerated through experience in the industry. There are patterns in client problems therefore, once you understand a range of solutions, you can often apply these to many problems. Starting off in a company where I was learning from experts, such as an established data team, really helped me advance my skills and experience. Don’t be scared of suggesting innovative ideas or modifications to make solutions more effective.
Who’s your role model and why?
Robbie Williams is someone who springs to mind. Mainly because, after watching the documentary on Netflix about his life, it really brought out his determination and the way he dealt with his fears. I found it inspiring how he overcame those fears. Often, he would throw himself in the deep-end and run head-first into situations. But, as he’s gotten older, he’s become more emotionally intelligent and able to understand his own emotions and feelings.
During the pandemic there was a boom in meal box subscriptions, however an increasingly competitive market, the cost-of-living crisis and a squeeze on food prices has left consumers evaluating their choices on subscriptions, with meal boxes feeling the pinch. Understanding and addressing customer preferences, behaviours and financial situations is crucial for tackling meal box subscription fatigue, retaining existing customers and attracting new ones. To gain a competitive advantage and drive more income, subscription box companies must utilise their CRM platforms and first-party data (FPD) to craft personalised and tailored subscriptions that align to specific customer needs.
How to harness CRM and FPD to understand customer behaviours and create audience pools
CRM systems serve as a foundational tool for managing customer relationships and tracking interactions with a brand. By segmenting customers using domain knowledge coupled with data science and machine learning, brands can understand distinct customer groups. These groups may be based on data such as purchasing habits, frequency of orders or preferred meal types. They may also include customers with preferences around premium organic ingredients, others around affordability and convenience of meal boxes.
FPD provides valuable insights on customer interactions. By harnessing FPD, brands can understand which meals the most popular, what time of day customers typically buy and which promotions trigger higher conversions. Financial data on customers can even allow brands to craft subscription tiers that play into customer behaviours around spending.
By combining CRM and FPD, brands gain visibility on customer preferences and behaviours, enabling them to create highly targeted messaging and subscriptions that fit customer situations and preferences. For meal box subscriptions, this could look like:
- Offering premium organic options for high-spending customers
- Budget friendly convenient options for customers that are cost conscious and value convenience
- Incentives such as discounts or meal plan customisations for customers that show signs of churn
- Based on customer’s past purchases, companies can promote complementary products they believe a segment of customer will like
This data can also be used to segment customers & audiences into distinct audience pools to effectively execute retention and growth strategies. These pools can then be activated to tackle the subscription fatigue head-on with improved engagement and tailored marketing. These customer pools may include:
- New subscribers: Engage new customers with educational content about meal planning, promotions for first time buyers or loyalty awards for continued engagement
- Loyal customers: Reward frequent buyers with exclusive offers, loyalty discounts or premium subscription upgrades
- Churn-risk customers: Identify customers who have paused or cancelled subscriptions and target them with win-back campaigns
Measuring success by tracking KPIs such as customer lifetime value and churn rate, enables companies to see how tailored adjustments to retention and growth strategies have helped. It also enables strategies and messaging to be continually refined and adjusted to have optimal effect.
How MI Media’s data offering can help
MI Media’s Management Intelligence system, MIDAS, gathers and centralises data from a multitude of different sources; including marketing, CRM, competitors, website – the list goes on. As a media agency, we have access to media data, CRM data provided by clients, competitor data through tools such as Ad Intel and website traffic through GA4.
After combining and centralising data, MIDAS harnesses it with both reporting and measurement techniques. One measurement tool, Audience Segmentation, uses machine learning to provide audience segment insight. This process can be semi-automated as new audience data is supplied and ingested.
Going further and coupling techniques such as econometrics with audience segmentation enables MIDAS to provide valuable insight on how specific marketing drives audience KPIs. This may include answering:
- Has a specific TV campaign driven new subscribers to buy more?
- How has investment into the new media mix driven improved spending into meal box subscriptions?
- Has specific tailored marketing and promotions helped prevent churn amongst customers at high risk?
By tracking KPIs using MIDAS reporting services in professional dashboards, companies can understand whether their strategies have had the desired impact. This enables them to adjust and tailor their campaigns proactively.
Meal box subscription brands can develop more tailored and responsive subscriptions that suit customer preferences and behaviour by harnessing their CRM and FPD. Targeted retention and growth are paramount to the success of a business and can be elevated through insights from CRM and FPD. It’s been proven to not only help improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, but also drive sustainable business growth through personalised marketing and promotions. Brands that gain this insight and apply effective tailored marketing and services to customers, will undoubtedly tackle subscription fatigue and ultimately, increase their income.
Our client, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), today launches its new Winter appeal with the TV ad ‘Seconds Save Lives’. MSF is an international humanitarian organization providing medical care where it is needed most – to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters or exclusion from healthcare. Created by krow, and ending with the strapline, “Every Second Counts. You can buy us vital time”, the 60-second spot focuses on trauma care in conflict zones, where every second that passes can be the difference between life or death and providing critical care at the very moment it’s needed is crucial.
The campaign is designed to propel existing and new donors to urgently help save lives of people affected by trauma in conflict environments by bringing them as close to the work of MSF as possible. It will run across TV, press and radio from 7th November, and on podcasts and Channel 4 VOD from 1st December. Media was planned by MI Media. Press ads created by Steers McGillan Eves and radio ads by Maple Street.
Craig Gallacher, Business Director at MI Media says, “After the success of last year’s Winter Appeal (from krow and MI) that saw a 15% increase in donations from TV alone, we’re proud to again be supporting Médecins Sans Frontières in providing life-saving medical attention to those most in need this Christmas.”
MSF UK Director of Communications Judith Escribano says, “From Gaza to Sudan, Yemen to the Democratic Republic of Congo, our expert teams treat a patient for the impact of physical violence every six minutes. In a world of escalating conflict, this campaign is needed now more than ever.”
This ad uses reportage-style films capturing a first-hand account from MSF spokesperson, Dr Javid Abdelmoneima doctor who has worked across multiple conflicts, alongside real-life footage from conflict zones. Using a shutter-style effect and composed music to build on the idea of urgency, the film emphasises that every second that passes is truly critical, urging people to support MSF and the important work they do.
Gemma Galvin, Creative Director at krow Group says “Working with MSF and hearing first-hand experiences from the field was truly inspiring, and at times heartbreaking – especially with how prevalent conflict zones are in our world today. We hope this new campaign will drive home the importance of how every donation can buy precious time and ultimately save lives.”
Press coverage featured on MediaShotz and Little Black Book.
Michael’s been at MI for coming up to 5 years, he’s grown up at the agency and into the role he’s now in of Senior Account Manager. He’s driven by working closely with our clients to get results, which can all be read about in this latest “a day in the life” interview.
Tell us about how you got to where you are today, what interested you about MI and the role?
I started out in recruitment back in Colchester where I’m from. I managed a year, but being honest, it really wasn’t for me. In the search for something more fulfilling, I decided I wanted to move to London and find a job in media. I had a friend working in media who spoke highly of the industry and it seemed like it would suit my skillset and personality. I found the job at MI (via a recruiter!) and came on board as an Account Executive almost five years ago now. I have basically grown up with MI, having progressed during my time here to Senior Account Manager.
What is the biggest difference between MI when you started to now?
I don’t think it is that different, which I would say is a positive. The things I enjoyed about MI when I started, I still enjoy doing today. I have worked directly with clients the entire time, building and establishing relationships, some of which are now five years in. MI has always had a good culture and great people which hasn’t changed. It’s a big part of why I like working here.
What does a typical day look like for you? You were previously an account manager, how has it changed since you stepped up to senior account manager?
I became a senior account manager in March this year and, there’s definitely more responsibility (which is a good thing). As AE and AM, you need a bit more direction from those above you, but I’ve found that as a SAM I am trusted to make strategic decisions and take accountability with clients and my team. I work closely with the Account and Business Directors which helps me strive for where I want to be in the future. I have been getting involved more in new business opportunities and pitches which is something relatively new to me, but it is a great to be trusted to come into the process on these. It’s nice to have the added responsibility and it has given me more confidence. I also feel like I am growing with other peers in the industry who are now at similar levels to me and have gone through the ranks which is a nice feeling.
What is your proudest or most memorable moment at MI?
It would have to be contributing to the pitch process for a big charity client, which earlier this year we found out we had won! I was brought into the pitch team from the very beginning, worked on the strategy for the brief and presented on the day. It was great to see end-to-end the hard work and dedication from all members of the team and wider company that goes into a new business opportunity. When it results in a significant win – even better! Another proud moment was presenting to one of my key clients, Kindred, at their offices in Gibraltar in front of our CEO. From the feedback I got, it was really well received! It always feels good when your efforts pay off, even though it can feel quite high-pressured at the time.
What top tips would you give to someone looking to work in a client services account team?
You really don’t need to be a certain type of person. Even within a media planning and buying agency, there’s a variety of roles that suit different people and personalities. It’s a friendly environment that embraces people as long as they show they care. I would say it’s important to keep yourself organised, show you care about the work you’re doing and results you are achieving for clients. Results are ultimately why you do everything when you work in an account team. But overall, it’s all stuff you can learn.
Are there any lessons you have learnt from during your time in media? Or any mistake you have you learnt the most from?
I’ve certainly learnt the hard way on a few occasions, as I think most people do. The mistakes that matter, you learn from the most. It’s not necessarily bad to make a mistake in a way because you can learn, it’s just important you own the mistake. Once you’ve built a good relationship with clients and even your internal teams, they are likely to be understanding – people are human.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
Bad communication and not keeping people updated, which will put me (or the team) in a difficult situation. It’s sometimes hard to find the time to respond when you have a busy workload, but it’s important to prioritise communication, even if it’s just a brief acknowledgement. Also, anything out of my control I find difficult. Sometimes you just need an understanding team to vent to (swear to) and get it off your chest.
